The Words Wouldn't Come
by Lynlyn-maru
Summary: Ino and Shikamaru. Arranged Marriage. Will they ever realize their true feelings and learn to live as a couple? ShikaIno! In need of reviews!
1. Chapter 1

This was a really spur-of-the-moment story, inspired by my bestest penpal, Hikari! Wether or not it continues depends on the reviews I get, cause I'm not sure how it's going to go over. Still, this is just the prologue, and its a bit short! Please forgive me!

Disclaimer- I don't own this totally awesome series! (.:sniff:.)

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"What the hell!"

Shikamaru stood from the couch in surprise, a surprising feat from one so lazy. The blonde-haired girl next to him sat in silence, also strangely out of character for one so loud. The cup of tea she had been about to sip a moment earlier fell to the ground, spilling the contents onto the wood floor below them.

"Calm down, son. It's not as bad as you think."

"Not as bad? Do you have any idea what you're saying!"

Inoshi sighed, rubbing his temples. Shikato coughed.

"It's already been decided, Shikamaru. Mr. Yamanaka and I have been contemplating this from the time you both turned two."

Ino looked at her father, her mouth slightly agape, unable to form words, he nodded in agreement, a slight smile on his face.

"It's always been custom for the families of great ninja clans to intermix, it keeps bloodlines intact and ties tight. That's how your mother and I got married, Shikamaru." Shikato said in anall-to-calm tone.

"But…We're only 16!" Shikamaru protested, specifically avoiding Ino's eyes at any cost.

"Oh no, my boy." Inoshi raised his hands in defense. "This still isn't going to happen for another few years. When you're 18 or 19, probably. We only thought it was fair to tell you both earlier, so the shock wouldn't be too great."

Shikamaru sank back down into his seat next to Ino, his shocked gaze intently on the floor. Ino finally found her voice and spoke for the first time.

"Daddy, why? Why did you decide this for us? Is there any reason?" Shikamaru turned to Ino, who met his gaze for an instant before looking back at her father.

"There were lots of signs, baby. You being born so close together, being chosen for the same genin teams, and how close you were when you were children."

Shikato spoke up, almost interrupting his friend. "And then, last month, the decision was made final, after the ordeal in the hospital." Shikato grinned, as both of the teenagers blushed, vaguely remembering the incident.

_**/Flashback/**_

Shikamaru had just completed one of his most dangerous missions, A ranked and highly top secret. His team members had returned to Konoha without their genius leader, who had been mortally wounded after he ordered his team to abandon him for Konoha, to complete the mission at all cost. A retrieval squad returned, carrying his unconscious body in their arms. He underwent surgery for a full 11 hours, but his life was saved.

However, the young jounin had fallen into a coma and none of the nin could awaken him, no matter what they did.

Ino was on a mission in the wave country, returning a full week after Shikamaru. Upon hearing her friend was in the hospital, she rushed to him, tears beginning to form and mixing with the dirt and sweat on her cheeks, not bothering to stop and give her mission report or treat her own wounds.

After only pausing to hear Tsunade tell her the grim situation at hand and that there was only a 21 chance that he would ever awaken, she burst into the room, tears returning to her eyes as she gazed at the heavily bandaged boy.

Slowly, she walked to him, taking his white hand in her dirty one, not caring that the fresh blood from her many scrapes was seeping into the bandages.

There she stood, for what seemed like hours, days even, only moving when Sakura forced her into a chair to treat her wounds.

She never let go of his hand.

She later learned that she had sat there for only two days (although it seemed like twenty to her.) But when she opened her mouth for the first time since her arrival, she found that only a single sentence could form from her dry lips.

"If you can't come back, at least let me come with you, Shikamaru….I don't want you to leave."

In her hand, fingers twitched under white bandages.

His eyes shifted under his still-closed lids until they slowly opened, taking time to focus on her.

"Ino?" He croaked.

Even Tsunade said it was a miracle, the odds spoke for themselves. Ino and Shikamaru, on the other hand, convinced themselves that it was just a freak coincidence, and brushed it off.

_**/end flashback/**_

Shikamaru and Ino continued to redden under their joyful parents' gaze.

"Ino's dad didn't need anymore convincing after that, and now…here you are."

The two teenagers' eyes met and blushes deepened, Shikamaru frowned.

"Troublesome…."

XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

The many months passed, and the 'couple' endured many a torment from their peers. Still, neither ever issued a complaint, alike in their silence, submitting willingly to the wishes of their parents. Dates were set and plans were laid, the wedding approached.

Their relationship remained the same, the arguments and missions still came, but there were still times when their eyes would meet gently for a instant, or their hands would brush gently as he walked her home.

They chose their home together, accompanied by their ecstatic parents, both awkwardly silent as they toured what would someday be their bedroom. Shikamaru moved in, by himself, soon after the purchase, Ino helped decorate the apartment, ignoring Shikamaru's irritation at the slightly feminine décor.

Still, for all the time they were together, discussing plans with their mothers, or walking the dark streets after long mission, neither one ever said the words most couples exchanged.

_I love you…_

The engagement was eventually, their friends realized that this sort of thing, though rare nowadays, was family tradition, and blessings were given. Days continued to fly by, more planning, attire fitting, choosing locations, parties which they attended arm in arm, trying to look comfortable under the transfixed gazes of their family and friends.

Until the final countdown approached…

The day came and went, vows were said and rings were exchanged, both smiling ever-so-slightly when they thought no one could see.

Their Honeymoon was cut short by Ino accepting an urgent mission, but Shikamaru didn't complain, he still got his two weeks off, after-all.

The months continued to pass…still…_the words never came._

_

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Seriously, you need to tell me what you think, I think I know where i can go with this, but you need to tell my if you even like it or not...please review!


	2. Chapter 2

This has been recently edited, beacuse it coincided a little too much with a fic a freind of mine wrote. (I'm sorry, Hikari-chan!) Anyways, the story is the same, just a few parts have been slightly altered so there is no confusion or double-stories.

I hope you all still enjoy this fic and I'm sorry if this is too much of a problem for anybody.

Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.

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"I'm home."  
"Welcome back, Shikamaru." Ino called from the kitchen.

Shikamaru slumped onto the couch, unzipping his flak jacket and kicking off his shoes.  
"Are you making something for dinner?" He called, rubbing his tense shoulders.  
"I was just about to start some noodles, did you want something else?" Ino appeared in the doorway of the kitchen, drying her hands with a towel.  
"Do you want to go out? I could take a shower and we could go get something to eat for once, save you the trouble of cooking." He said, turning his head to face her.  
Ino blinked, contemplating his words. She put her hands on her hips, making an annoyed face.  
"You just don't want to have to do the dishes, right?"  
"Well, yeah…but it's also troublesome for you to cook. I'm thinking of you too…" He mumbled.  
Ino sweat dropped and began to untie her apron. "Alright, I'm in the mood for something different also. Hurry and take a shower, I'll wait." And she disappeared back inside the kitchen, Shikamaru could hear her putting away items as he closed the door to the bathroom.

Eight months had passed, this was their life, a simple routine. Whenever missions didn't interfere, Ino cooked, Shikamaru cleaned after and they both shared the majority of the responsibilities. Ino still helped out at the flower shop in her spare time, Shikamaru would help with the family deer on weekends and they went about their lives normally. (Sometimes Shikamaru would help Ino at the shop, if he had nothing better to do, but he never proved very useful.)  
Every so often, they would visit their parents homes, acting like the happy couple their parents wanted them to be…..but something seemed to be missing.

"I don't see how you can eat that stuff, Shikamaru." Ino said, poking at her salad, watching her husband eat his mackerel and kelp, rather quickly, I might add.

"It's just what I like….and you never make it….so I never get to have it." He mumbled between bites, Ino just smiled and watched him devour his meal, while she picked at hers.

He finished and wiped his lips, freeing them of the leftover food.

"Oi, can I have the check, please?" He asked a nearby waiter, knowing that Ino never liked to get dessert at restaurants.

They walked home slowly, letting their food digest, Ino asking Shikamaru questions about his mission, and him only grunting in reply.

"Did you want to stop and see your dad? We haven't been over in a while, I told him you would be back tonight. We could go say hello?" Ino stopped at the turnoff to Shikamaru's parents house, waiting for a reply. Shikamaru shrugged and started down the street, Ino trailing behind him.

"Oh, Shikamaru, Ino! What a surprise! How are you?" Shikamaru's mother answered the door, enveloping her daughter-in-law into a hug. Over the months, she had taken quite a liking to Ino, and was always excited to see her. Taking her by the hand, she dragged the smiling blonde into the living room, leaving Shikamaru behind to shut the door and follow them.

Shikato was sitting on the couch, looking through a book, but set it down once the group entered. The girls talked while the men left for the yard to discuss Shikamaru's latest mission. They barely stayed an hour, talking and eating some of the cake Shika's mom had made earlier in the day. The couple took hands and exited the house, bright smiles on their faces as they headed down the street.

"Ah, isn't it nice that they're so affectionate, Shikato?" Shikamaru's mom said as they watched them disappear into the night.

"Adorable." Shikato grumbled, remembering his conversation with his son.

/Flashback/

"So, how's the married life treating you, kid?" Shikato asked casually, plucking a dead leaf from a nearby plant on the back porch.

"Fine, I guess." Shikamaru replied, kicking a rock and sitting down on a lawn chair.

The older Nara chuckled, leaning on the fence and crossing his arms. "I know it doesn't seem all that great, but look on the bright side…at least now you get to fool around after she yells at you, right?" Shikato grinned.

Shikamaru sighed, burying his head in his hands, not answering.

Shikamato blinked. "Wait a minute…you mean you guys haven't even….it's been eight months, Shikamaru!"

"I know, dad….it just….never happened." Shikamaru grumbled.

"Not even your honeymoon?"

"We didn't really have a honeymoon, she had that mission in the wave country, remember?"

"Well, what's stopping you now?"

"I just….can't. Something always gets in the way…" Shikamaru started to sound depressed.

"Well, I do want grandchildren someday, son. You'd better get going soon. This is no way to have a successful marriage."

"Yeah, yeah." Shikamaru got up and headed back inside, Shikato following slowly behind.

/End Flashback/

"I hope they'll be alright…"

"I think they went inside, you can let go now, if you'd like." Ino said, looking at the ground as they walked.

"Feh, it doesn't matter to me. It was your idea to put on this little front in the first place. If you don't want to, I won't force you." Shikamaru loosened his grip and let her fingers slip away from his.

"I just thought that it was nice to look happy in front of our parents, this marriage is their idea in the first place anyway…" she mumbled, fiddling with the long strands of hair that fell over her shoulders. "I don't mind."

Shikamaru only grunted.

It was a beautiful night, no clouds, but the sky was littered with bright starts, the full moon made it seem like dawn was beginning to light the sky, casting a blue light onto everything it touched. Shikamaru glanced over at his wife, who was staring up into space, admiring the night sky.

She was stunning…the way the moonlight cast shadows over her face and shimmered in her hair as it flowed in the slight breeze. Why was it so rare for him to notice her beauty? He raised his hand to brush away a few stray hairs, accidentally touching his fingers to her parted lips in the process, causing her to look at him and smile.

They continued to walk towards their house, their paces matching perfectly as the crossed the dimly lit streets.

They reached their doorstep and Ino disappeared inside the darkness, leaving him outside, staring after her retreating form.

After a moment, he heard a shower running and sighed, knowing that meant she was getting ready for bed. He glanced at the clock on the wall, 10:49 pm. It was time for him to be sleeping too.

He pulled off his shirt and pants, throwing them into the basket in the corner and sat on his side of the bed. He heard the shower turn off and pulled his hair from it's tie atop his head, smoothing it flat around his shoulders.

Ino emerged in a blue robe, her hair tied in a clip, he watched as she searched her closet for a nightgown. His gaze was broken by her clearing her throat, and he instinctively turned to face the other direction as she changed.

He felt her slide into the bed beside him, burying herself deep under the covers.

"Sakura's wedding is Friday, you got the missions' reprieve, right?" She asked as she settled in.

"Yeah."

Shikamaru flicked off the light, pulling the covers over him and lying back onto the pillow beside Ino, who seemed to already be asleep. It amazed him how she could do that. Sure, he was lazy, but he couldn't fall asleep that fast…

Her rhythmic breathing soothed him…he wanted to touch her, to feel her breath on his skin. Just once….

It had been months since they were married, and they still had never made love. It infuriated Shikamaru that he didn't even have the courage to sleep with his own wife after the months they'd been together.

Shikamaru rolled over onto his side, resting his head on his elbow, watching Ino sleep. His eyes swept over her, her neck, the lace of her shirt, the rise and fall of her breasts as she breathed.

"Why can I never find the courage to tell you how much I love you, Ino?" He whispered to himself, brushing a strand of her hair away as he gazed at her.

"Or how beautiful you are to me?" He added, his fingers lingering on her cheek. He kissed her forehead and settled into his pillow, closing the usual distance between them, if only by an inch or two. Before drifting off to sleep, he placed his larger hand over her smaller one under the covers, lulled to sleep by her constant breathing.

Ino's lips curved up into a smile.

"-amaru? Shikamaru?" Shikamaru drifted awake, opening his eyes can coming face to face with two blue eyes staring at him. He blinked groggily, until he realized the position he was in.

Apparently, Shikamaru had rolled over in the course of the night and was now laying on top of Ino, his face buried in her breasts.

"Ano, Shikamaru…could you get up please, I need to get breakfast started." Ino said, surprisingly calm.

He jolted upwards, preparing for impact, this had never happened before and he didn't know what to expect.

Ino simply stood and adjusted her nightshirt. "Omelets okay? I crave rice omelets." She said, turning to him and smiling.

"No rice, please. Just cheese is fine." He said, his voice cracked as he talked.

Shikamaru sighed in relief, pulled on a pair of pants and followed her into the kitchen, she was already started on breakfast so he laid out the plates for her.

"Sakura wants me over almost all day, she's a wreck. She's all worried about her dress and something about the cake, so I should be pretty busy."

"I'll probably just hang out with Chouji and the guys most of the day. Do I still have to go to that Bachelor party-thing?" Shikamaru grumbled, sitting in his seat at the table.  
"Yes. Don't worry about it though, Sakura's bachelorette party is right across the hall. It was her way of making sure Naruto doesn't do anything too stupid. Smart, if you think about it, she learned from your party." Ino giggled.

Shikamaru blushed at the thought of his own, highly forced upon him, bachelor party. Someone (Probably his father…) had hired two stunning dancers for the evening, despite Shikamaru's threats. After a half hour of watching two half-naked women dance around, he finally drank enough sake to pass out and save himself.

It was an experience he wished he could just forget.

"It's not like I wanted them there…" He grumbled, eating his food.

"Of course….anyways, I'll just meet you back here tonight, I have no idea what time, whoever's here first will leave the lights on for the other, alright?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"See you tonight!" Ino yelled as she walked out the door, heading for Sakura's house.

Shikamaru walked around the house for a while, straightening up a little and gradually getting dressed.

After an hour or so, he, too, closed their front door behind him and headed into town, knowing that everyone would probably already be at ichiraku.

"Oi! Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru winced at hearing his name called from the little stand.

"Yo." He greeted Neji, Kiba, Shino, Chouji and Naruto.

"Everyone's here already?"

"All but, Lee." Kiba laughed. Shikamaru's curious stare turned to Neji, who sighed.

"He's in mourning, since Sakura's getting married tomorrow. He was wailing about how he'll never love again."

"I thought he had some girl from the sand all over him a while ago, what happened with that?"

"Still the same, old crushes just die hard."

Shikamaru sat down in the empty seat next to Chouji, who was finishing up a ramen.

"How's Ino?"

Shikamaru smiled. "Same, she never changes. Nothing ever changes…."

Chouji gave his friend a weak smile and placed a hand on his shoulder, trying to comfort his friend.

"Bwahahaha! I'm going to beat the rest of you by getting laid first!" Naruto chimed, twirling his chopsticks in his fingers.

"Shikamaru's already done that, baka." Kiba retaliated.

"That's right, you should be asking him for all the advice he can give, he's experienced."

"Yeah, Naruto no baka, you don't want to totally botch things on the wedding night, right?" Kiba howled, smacking the blonde's back, causing him to fall over.

"Shikamaru! Come on, give me some tips!" He asked, sitting down beside him.

Shikamaru only sat in silence.

"Come on, don't be stingy, Shikamaru." Kiba joined in. "Share your knowledge." He joked.

"Oh, drop it, Naruto, you'll just have to find out for yourself.' Chouji chimed in, trying to reprieve his friend.

"No way! Shikamaru's a veteran now, he needs to share the knowledge of his dealings. Unless he's never done anything either…"

Shikamaru's head found it's way to the table, landing with a thud.

Silence….

Silence…

Silence…

"No way…"

"But you've been together for over six months!"

"That's wrong, man."

"Cough…"

"Why me?"

The day passed, rather slowly for Shikamaru, who bore with the teasing for most of the day, until Neji and Chouji stepped in and demanded that it stop. Evening fell and the bachelor and bachelorette parties began. Even the old genin leaders and teachers were there, Tsunade was the life of the party on the girls' side.

"Ino! Come dance with me!"

"Sakura, say cheese!"

"Hinata, don't just sit there!"

"Someone take that sake from Tsunade-sama, she's going to fall over!"

The noise was unimaginable.

Meanwhile, on the guys' side, things were just as lively. Lee had sparked a drunken fighting match and was winning until he passed out on the floor. Now, with every match lost, a drink was downed.

Shikamaru seemed to be having a bad night…and seemed to loose every match, with the exception of Kiba, who could barely stand anymore.

"That's thirteen, Shikamaru!" Naruto bellowed, shoving another glass into the disheveled man's hand. He shrugged and downed the drink, slamming it on the table afterwards.

Sake helped to loosen him up, it seemed. Alcohol was in his blood and he could drink all night and feel fine the next morning. So, what the hell?

In the end, the matches stood extremely uneven, with Neji winning, having only taken three drinks. Naruto had 15 (Mostly because he wanted to), Chouji- 13, Kiba- 21, Shikamaru 18 and Lee- 6 (though still unconscious). (nobody else was accounted for and Shino didn't play.)

Shikamaru stared at the clock, struggling to read the twirling numbers.

"11:….50?"

"Alright, time to head home, big day tomorrow!" They heard Tsunade-sama call from the other room.

Naruto bounded off, looking for Sakura, Neji picked Lee up and headed for the door. Shino slung Kiba over his shoulders and followed and Chouji wobbled off. Shikamaru slowly stood and followed their example.

Outside, he found Sakura, trying to tame Naruto and asked where Ino was.

"She went home about an hour ago, she didn't think you would stay." She replied, ignoring Naruto nuzzling his way into her chest.

Shikamaru frowned at his friend and headed off in the direction, waving off Sakura's questioning him as stable enough to get home.

As expected, the house was lit when he got home, Ino obviously had beaten him. He fumbled with his keys and opened the door, making a lot more noise than usual. He stumbled up the stairs, discarding clothing as he went.

"Shikamaru?" Ino said, groggily, sitting up in the bed.

"I was wondering how late you were going to stay out, did you have fun? Was Naruto- Shikamaru?"

The semi-conscious man, was stalking over to _her _side of the bed, his eyes only half-lidded, as if he was sleepwalking!

"Shika-!" She was silenced by his lips crushing against hers, forcibly taking their first kiss in months. His tongue probed her lips, demanding entry as he kissed her.

'_What's gotten into him_!' Then she tasted, it…

Sake.

Shikamaru was never this daring, even on their wedding night, he had hesitated to even sleep beside her. No wonder it took sake for him to force himself on her. She knew it must've been frustrating for him, married for eight months without making love once…The had shared exactly 11 kisses since their marriage, Ino had kept count. Not very good for a newlywed couple.

Ino had to admit, she liked this but…it was a little sudden…

His left hand took her wrist and lifted it above her head, restraining her with his strength, while the other hand ran his fingers up her leg, raising her nightgown. He had moved and was now kissing her neck, drawing further down, nearing her breasts. By now, he was fully lying on top of her, their legs entwined. Ino could feel her breath become shorter as he pressed against her.

"Ino…" He whispered into her skin, his breath warming her instantly.

His grip loosened and his head sank into the mattress and Ino could feel his breathing become more rhythmic and relaxed. She craned her neck to see his eyes closed, sleeping peacefully.

For a moment, she was enraged, but she soon abandoned her thoughts of smacking her husband awake and rolled him off of her, to the side. Keeping under his arm, she settled into his chest.

"Baka…" She mumbled, forcing herself to sleep.

Dammit, she actually _liked _that…

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Thanks to all who read, I'll try and have the next chapter up soon! Please Review!

And Hikari-chan, since I changed it, you have to update one of your fics. (One of the one I likes!) Yay!

Review!


	3. Chapter 3

Bet you all thought I died or something. Actually, I finished this a few months ago and forgot about it...what an idiot, huh? Anyways, who knows if this is going to be the last one, especially with the way things have been going lately.

I've been working on another new shika-ino story lately, but I just can't seem to find a good spot to end the chapter to post it, it's already really long too. Keep your fingers crossed.

And a huge thanks to all the people writing me to keep me going on these things. I probably would have given up if you weren't all nagging me all the time.

Enjoy. (Naruto is not mine and blah blah blah.)

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"That was the longest day I've had in a long time." Shikamaru grumbled, flopping down on the bed and yanking at the tie around his neck until it was loose enough to fit over his head.

"I thought it was beautiful, that was the most adorable wedding I've ever seen." Ino sighed, taking out her earrings and placing them in the jewelry box on her vanity. "Made me want to get married."

"Hey."

"I mean, again."

Shikamaru scowled.

Sakura and Naruto's wedding _had _been beautiful, like a dream. They had all gathered outside, in one of the gardens in town and the ceremony had taken place under one of the large willow trees planted there. Sakura, in her stunning white dress was escorted down an aisle of pink rose petals. Tsunade-sama herself had presided over the ceremony, joining her two pupils. Shikamaru had to sit by himself in the audience, as Ino was the matron of honor, his eyes hardly left her visage, thinking how beautiful she was in her lavender bridesmaids' dress.

After the ceremony finished, all the guests re-convened for the reception. Ino told Shikamaru how her eyes went teary at the sight of Sakura's happy face as they exchanged vows. He danced with her more than she had expected-even at their own wedding he was reluctant to stay on the dance floor any longer than expected. They stayed out well into the night, rather enjoying the time, Shikamaru was much more affectionate than usual, for some reason; holding her shoulders as they mingled with other guests, commenting on how beautiful she was and even pulling her close to him on the dance floor. She also noticed the couple of jeers and taunts he got from Kiba and Naruto throughout the night, which he ignored as best he could.

At the end of the night, they bid their friends farewell, wishing the new couple their best and heading home under the stars.

Ino sighed, remembering how perfect everything had been.

"Our wedding wasn't that bad, was it? I think your dress was even more beautiful than Sakuras." Shikamaru asked quietly, beginning to unbutton his shirt, still not moving from his place on the bed.

"It's not about that. It's just that it had a different….feel to it, you know?"

"No. I thought our wedding had everything theirs had, nice location, you chose everything just the way you wanted it, what was our missing?" He sat up on his elbows, looking at her reflection in the mirror.

Ino closed her eyes and whispered.

"…love."

Shikamaru's face softened, her words taking the spirit holding his expression intact. "Oh..." Shikamaru whispered back, barely audible.

"I'm sorry." Ino mumbled, her head sinking. She heard Shikamaru get up from his place on the bed and closed her eyes, already regretting her words. He was startled when his arms enveloped around her shoulders, pulling her close to his chest from behind.

"Do you really think that, Ino? That we're just together because of the arrangement our parents made?"  
"I…"

"I don't. I think it would've taken a lot longer, but I think the two of us would've ended up together in the end."

//flashback//

"Ino?"

Ino's eyes fluttered open, the morning sun blinding her for a moment before her vision focused in on her husband, who was resting his head on his elbow just above her.

"What time is it, Shikamaru? Why are you up before me?"

"Time to get ready, you're supposed to be at Sakuras' at nine, right? It's 8:00."

Ino stretched and began to get out of the bed, being stopped by Shikamaru's arm, still draped over her.

"And I'm up before you because I have a bit of a headache. Did anything happen last night? I must've actually drank too much for once…"

Ino blushed, remembering the night's events, and how nice they were, then remembering how abruptly they had ended.

"Nothing interesting." She said.

Shikamaru let her out of the bed, watching her get clothes together and rolled back over, stretching.

"Why don't you ever kiss me, Shika? I mean, really kiss me?" She blurted.

The question caught him a bit off guard, to say the least. "uh….I don't know."

"I mean, we are married, it's not like I'm going to get mad or anything."

"I guess…I'm just….waiting. For the right time or something."

"Oh."

"It's not like you do it either, Ino." Shikamaru mumbled, rolling over into his pillow again and covering his eyes, shielding them from the morning light. He felt a tapping on his shoulder and raised himself up…only to be met by Ino's lips being pressed forcibly against his. Shikamaru felt the elbow holding him up start to give way, but as he landed again on the bed, his wife only pressed against him harder, deepening their kiss. Her lips moved against his, until they had formed a unison rythem. Shikamaru felt himself blush…and react to their intimacy. Abruptly, Ino pulled away, turning on her heel towards the bathroom, pausing at the door shortly.

"Take something for your headache, before you get up." She exited the room, Shikamaru could hear water running as she started a shower.

After a moment, an asperin bottle landed beside him on the bed and she disappeared again through the door. Shikamaru remained motionless, unable to will his limbs to move. He released a breath he didn't realize he was holding and rolled over, burying his face in the pillow.

'That was….holy shit.'

He had just been thinking how she had looked so perfect, lying beside him there. So…innocent. 'Technically, she is still innocent…' his mind grumbled. Shikamaru had to admit, there was a certain part of his that longed for her, quite often as a matter of fact. In the rare times that he caught her sleeping, emerging soaking wet from a shower, walking around in those tiny clothes she wore during summer, even flipping her hair as they walked down the street together, there was a part of him that just wanted to start kissing her and never stop. Taste her, for real. It was almost carnal, the way he wanted her.

But, overlying that part of him that longed, was the stronger feelings of fear. Fear of rejection, disappointment, fear of Ino in general.

'And that did NOT help…'

//end flashback//

Her hair smelled so good, like….some kind of flower that he couldn't begin to recognize. The skin on her neck where his chin was momentarily resting was so soft. Holding her just felt so…right.  
"Shikamaru…" She touched her hand to his arm, still holding her. " Why do you think we can't seem to get our words right? It seems like the longer we're together, the harder it gets to act like a normal couple."

Shikamaru's thoughts were broken, "I think this is just who we are, Ino."

"That's what I was afraid you'd say, Shikamaru." She whispered, her head drooping.

"Ino…I just." He stopped himself and tightened his grip on her shoulders. When she didn't look up at him, he took a deep breath and pressed his lips against the nape of her neck. He could feel her shudder under him, and he hope it wasn't because she was mad.

"S-Shikamaru?" Ino gasped, taken a bit by surprise.

"Do you have any idea how troublesome you are, Ino? We aren't a normal couple, and I don't ever want to be. We're different. And we're not together because our parents arranged it, I was given the chance to end the engagement, about a month before the wedding. Obviously, I didn't take it."

Ino smiled, blushing slightly, "I didn't either…"

Shikamaru's eyes widened.

"Ino…?"

"Do you remember last night at all, Shika?"

He shook his head.

"Well, you came home completely smashed, strolled over here," she pulled out of their embrace and went and sat on their bed, "and started kissing me. Forcing yourself on me, more like it." She giggled.

"Then you fell asleep on top of me, I was so mad at you."

Shikamaru sighed again and sat next to her on the bed.

"I'm sorr-" he started, but she brought a hand to his lips, halting him.

"I was mad at you for not finishing what you started, dummy." She retracted her hand and rested her elbows on her knees, head drooping. "It's been eight months, isn't it about time we consummate our love?"

"Love? I thought we didn't have that." Shikamaru smirked, craning his neck to look at her.

Ino frowned slightly, "We don't have to, I just thought…." Shikamaru stopped her, laying back on the bed, pulling her with him, her head resting on his shoulder.

"This is going to sound so stupid…" he sighed, wrapping his arm around her. "I….You….the thing is…the reason I haven't, you know, tried anything on you is…" He took a deep breath. "I'm scared to."

Ino sat up slightly, meeting his embarrassed eyes, giving him a questioning look.

"Why?" She asked innocently.

"I dunno. I guess you still seem like this unreachable thing to me. All my life you've been something I never thought I would have, and I had just made up my mind not to even bother pursuing you. I guess the mindset is still there." He said, casually.

Ino laid back down beside him, turning her gaze to the ceiling once more.

"I guess I was a little scared too, now that I think about it. Not of you, but of something changing. I thought, in the back of my mind that, if we had sex, we wouldn't be the same around each other anymore, our relationship would change."

"It probably would." Shikamaru laughed.

"But now, I kinda want it to. As kids, you think about being happily married and now that it's happened, I don't think we're happy how we are now. Couples should be able to…express themselves."

Shikamaru was silent for a while, the gears in his genius head turning rapidly. After a minute or so, he finially spoke.

"Well….ok then." And before he had even finished he had grabbed Ino's arm, rolling her over on top of him.

"You know Ino, this is going to be a big sacrifice, but I'm willing to do anything to make you happy." he said, his voice deep, a smile spreading across his face. He nuzzled against her neck, her skin felt warm against his lips.

It was amazing. The feel of her body so close to his. Their legs tangled, slightly hanging off of the bed. The way her breath seemed to be coming out in shorter pants as is hands roamed her back and his lips kissed her jaw line.

There it was again, the 'reaction'. Before he knew what he was doing, he had rolled her over and was now tightly grasping her hand, pinning it above her, while the other raised his body over hers.

"You sure…last chance? I don't think its going to be possible to stop after I start." He whispered, searching her eyes.

Ino reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, stroking it gently, her eyes soft and calm. She gently pulled him back to her, resuming their kiss.

Everything was perfect. Slow. Right. Almost like they were made to fit together.

After Shikamaru collapsed beside her, sweat clinging to his shoulders and forehead, Ino rolled next to him, burying into his shoulder.

"You know what, Shika?"

"Huh?" Shikamaru exhaled, catching his breath again.

"I think I love you."

He smirked, bring his outstretched arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him.

"I know I love you, Ino."

He could feel her smile against him, as they both drifted off to sleep.

The next day…..

"Naruto, you've got to tell us everything! It's your job as a veteran!" Kiba shouted from inside Ichiraku. Naruto only slurped his ramen in response, pretending to ignore the demand.

Kiba noticed Shikamaru strolling past and waved, trying to flag him down. "Oi! Shikamaru!" He motioned for him to join them. "Tell this baka that it's his responsibility to share his experiences as a married man with us, since you're still not worthy."

Shiakamru scowled at first but shook it off and took Naruto by the soulder. The blonde looked up at him curiously as Shikamaru winked. Naruto caught on and grinned widely.

"All right, Nara!" And the two slapped high fives as Kiba groaned.

"You guys suck…."

Some more time later….

"OH! Honey, it's Ino and Shikamaru!" Shika's mother ran to answer the door. She enveloped Ino into her traditional hug and led them inside, all seated around the living room.

"How's it going, you two? It's been quite a while." Shiakamru's father said, sitting down across from the couple.

They seemed a bit more affectionate, Shikamaru's arm was slung over Ino's shoulders and she was leaning into him gracefully. It had been months since the two of them had been over, they had become rather scarce everywhere, actually.

"We're just stopping in to tell you something, Mr. Nara." Ino said calmly, sipping the tea that had been brought out.

Shikamaru rested his hands on his knees, folding his hands seriously. "Sakura, it seems, is pregnant." He said. Rubbing his hands together.

Shikamaru's mother clasped her hands. "Oh How sweet! We'll have to send her something and make shure she's okay and..."

"And so is Ino." He added, sitting back in the couch, his eyes closed, a slight smile on his lips. Ino blushed and set her cup down.

Silence.

Until his mom let out the highest-pitched yell in existance. His dad just smiled from ear to ear. "Finally."

* * *

Based on all those emails I mentioned, I expect I'll be gettting a high number of reviews. I'm not complaining either :

Hope you enjoyed it, not sure it was worth the months of waiting though, sorry!

Love you all, my fellow copyright-infringers! Peace-out!


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